


All the Places

by carolinecrane



Category: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-11-15
Updated: 2008-11-15
Packaged: 2017-10-22 23:25:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/243717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carolinecrane/pseuds/carolinecrane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post-ep for "Feel the Heat".  Sometimes words make all the difference.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All the Places

"Hey."

"Hey," Greg said, glancing up long enough to watch Nick walk into the lab. "You done for the day?"

"Yeah," Nick answered. He looked as tired as Greg felt; his shoulders were slumped and the lines around his eyes were more pronounced than usual. It had been a hard shift for everybody, and Greg was just as glad as the rest of them that it was over.

He put away the last of his reports and made sure everything was turned off, checking the fume hood twice before he followed Nick out of the lab and toward the parking lot. If anybody noticed that they were leaving together more and more lately nobody said anything, but Greg knew it was just a matter of time. They were surrounded by professional investigators, after all, and they wouldn't be much good at their jobs if they couldn't pick up on a romance going on right under their noses.

So Greg didn't even think about it as he followed Nick to his Tahoe, stopping on the passenger side and raising his eyebrows when Nick turned and frowned at him. "What are you doing, man?"

"I'm wiped out," Greg answered. "I'll get my car tomorrow."

"You don't think somebody's gonna notice if you leave your car here all day? Come on, G," Nick said, glancing instinctively over Greg's shoulder at the crime lab as he spoke.

As soon as Greg's tired brain caught up with what Nick was saying he rolled his eyes, the anger he'd been holding back all through the long, depressing shift flashing hot in his chest. "Forget it. I'm going home. See you tomorrow."

He turned and headed toward his own car, his blood pounding against his ears as he fished in his pockets for his keys. Nick called after him but he ignored it, swallowing hard against the lump in his throat as he finally reached his car. He knew it was just because he was tired and he'd spent the whole night processing fluids from an exhumed baby; any other time he would have turned on the charm and coaxed Nick into taking him home. Any other time he wouldn't even have asked, because he knew Nick was still a little jumpy about everyone finding out about them. He could see that when he'd teased Nick about good make-out spots right in front of Sara, and he knew he was pressing his luck by asking Nick to take him home.

That didn't mean he had to like it, though, and sometimes he wasn't sure why he bothered playing Nick's games. They didn't talk about feelings or even what they were doing, so as far as Greg knew this was just sex. Great sex, granted – sex he'd been fantasizing about since he first laid eyes on Nick in one of those tight shirts of his, but it was still just sex. And Greg had never really been the _just_ anything type, so he wasn't sure why he'd been making an exception just to keep Nick in his bed.

He managed to get himself home without falling asleep at the wheel or hitting anything, but when he turned off the engine he just sat there for awhile, staring up at his apartment building. And maybe it was the fact that he'd just watched a family implode today, or maybe it was his own pathetic love life that was bothering him, but suddenly his life felt really empty.

He had a job he liked, but Grissom wasn't in any hurry to let him back out of the lab and he wasn't sure how much longer he could stand processing evidence day in and day out. He didn't want to admit it because he knew if he did Grissom would never give him another chance, but ever since the explosion it was harder than ever not to get a little twitchy during long shifts in the lab.

He had an apartment he barely saw except to crash for a few hours between shifts, and he had friends he never saw anymore because he was too busy trying to prove himself at work. If he was a CSI his schedule would be just as hectic – maybe more so – but it would be worth it, because at least then he'd feel like he was _doing_ something. Even his love life was completely up in the air, and he wasn't sure why he was wasting his time with Nick when he could be out meeting someone who actually wanted a future with him.

The problem was that he knew the answer to that. He didn't want a future with just anybody, he wanted a future with _Nick_. Nick who he'd stupidly let himself fall in love with, and now that it had happened he wasn't sure what to do about it. Sitting in his car all day wasn't going to solve anything, though, so he took a deep breath and swung the door open, reaching for his backpack before he headed up to his apartment.

He stopped short when he reached the stairs, frowning up at the man standing outside his door. "What are you doing here?"

"I followed you," Nick said, shrugging almost sheepishly and crossing his arms over his chest. "I was gonna knock on your car window, but you looked like you could use a few minutes."

Greg's heart skipped a beat but he told himself not to get his hopes up; just because he wanted something from Nick didn't mean Nick was willing to give it. He'd followed Greg because he felt guilty, but he'd gotten his way – again – so Greg was the only one with something to lose here.

"I'm beat," Greg said, and when he started to climb the stairs his legs really did feel heavier than usual. "Can we do this later?"

"What are we doing here, G?" Nick asked, pushing himself off Greg's door when Greg finally reached the landing. "Because I thought we understood each other until that scene in the parking lot."

As soon as Nick said the words 'that scene' Greg's anger flared up again, and his mouth twisted into a bitter scowl as he fought to get the key into the lock. "Yeah, well, I guess we don't. So if you don't mind I'd like to get some sleep before this starts all over again."

He was still struggling with the lock when a hand closed over his, easing the keys out of his grip. Nick unlocked the door and turned the knob, pushing the door open and easing Greg inside before he followed. Greg turned as soon as he heard the door shut, intent on telling Nick he didn't remember inviting him in, but before he could get the words out Nick's hands were on his shoulders. "I'm not just gonna leave it like this, Greg. You were fine and then all of a sudden you weren't. Is this about the car thing?"

And Jesus, for as smart as he was, sometimes Nick could be dense. Greg rolled his eyes again and pulled out of Nick's grip, dropping his backpack on the floor. "It's about the car thing and the fact that you wouldn't even look at me when I offered to help you and Sara. It's about the way you act like I'm just Greg the Crazy Lab Tech whenever anybody else is around. It's about the fact that I had a really shitty shift, and I just wanted to go home with my boyfriend and forget about it. But God forbid anybody find out Nick Stokes is sleeping with a guy, right?"

He took a deep breath when he finished and looked up, expecting anger or maybe Nick's patented defensiveness. Instead Nick just looked confused, like he'd never considered the fact that Greg might not care what the rest of the night shift thought of them. "You think I've been keeping a low profile because I'm worried about people finding out I'm gay?"

Greg's anger faded a little as he blinked back at Nick, taking in the crooked smile and the disbelief in the other man's eyes. "Aren't you?"

Nick's smile got even wider then, and he shook his head and closed the space between them. "No, man. You want a shot at training to be a CSI, right?" Greg nodded when Nick paused, his anger fading completely as he realized where Nick was going with the conversation. "Well if that happens and I get that promotion it's going to put us in kind of a weird position. I was trying to keep Grissom from figuring things out until it was too late to change his mind."

"It's never too late for Grissom to change his mind," Greg answered distractedly, but it was hard to focus when his blood was pounding against his ears. "He could stick me back in the lab any time he wanted."

"Yeah, but once you prove you're an asset in the field he won't have a reason to." Nick's smile faded as he reached up and slid a hand through Greg's hair, sending the spikes careening into even more alarming angles. "If you want to take the chance I'll tell Grissom myself. It might mean you're stuck in the lab for good, but if you're willing to take the risk…"

"So you'd…you don't care if everybody knows? Sara? Warrick?"

Nick winced at the mention of Warrick's name, but he shook his head and tightened his grip on Greg a little. "If he doesn't like it that's his problem. I'll tell anybody you want, G."

And this was officially the weirdest day of his life, because ten minutes ago Greg would have sworn that Nick was ensconced so far in his personal closet that it would have taken wild horses to drag him out of there. But he looked determined – a little scared, maybe – but determined nonetheless, and Greg's heart lodged in his throat when he realized that Nick was willing to take a huge step like that just to prove how much Greg meant to him.

"We don't have to tell anybody anything," Greg answered, his hands finally leaving his sides to slide around Nick's waist, "I mean if they figure it out that's their problem, right?"

Nick laughed and leaned forward, pressing their lips together for a soft kiss before he answered. "I have a feeling it would become our problem pretty quick. But we can deal with that when we get there, right?"

"Right," Greg answered, his gaze focused squarely on Nick's mouth. When the corners of his mouth twitched Greg's cock responded in kind, and he wished he wasn't too exhausted to do anything about it.

"So, you wanna go find one of those perfect make-out spots you were talking about earlier?"

Or maybe he wasn't so tired after all. Greg grinned and closed his fist around the front of Nick's shirt, backing toward his bedroom as he dragged the other man with him. "I know just the place. You'll love it, it's totally secluded."

"Sounds perfect," Nick murmured against Greg's mouth as they tumbled back onto his bed, Nick's body pressing Greg into the mattress. He tasted like mint and citrus and Nick, and it was intoxicating enough to make Greg forget all about his lousy day. He sighed his disappointment when Nick pulled away, stopping six inches above Greg to study his features. "You did a lot of work with Catherine on that dead infant case, right?"

"Yeah," Greg answered, sadness creeping over him for a second before he focused on Nick again.

"You okay?"

Half an hour ago the question might have made him cry; he'd been so exhausted and so down on everything in his life until Nick followed him home, but suddenly it didn't seem so bad anymore.

"I am now," he answered, taking a deep breath and reaching up to rub his thumb across the stubble on Nick's jaw. He wasn't sure this was such a good idea, but he'd come this far and he felt like they both deserved the whole truth. "I love you."

Nick's expression shifted from concern to shock to a weird mixture of awe and fear in the space of an instant, but before Greg had time to panic he reached up and caught Greg's hand in his, turning his face to press a kiss to the center of Greg's palm before he threaded their fingers together. "I love you too."

It was funny how the worst day of his life could become the best day just because of three words people said all the time. The difference was that he knew Nick meant them.


End file.
